My Damaged Goods
by ShimmerinDenali
Summary: BxE,OOC,AH, Bella is damaged, and sure a bit crazy, Edward is a reluctant savior of sorts who isnt going to give into her crazy ways like everyone else. Other usual pairings to come. Read the warning at the begining please. Lemons of coarse.
1. Chapter 1

**BxE other usual pairings to come, very OOC, AU**

**Consider yourself warned, this story contains explicit language/drug use/bad stuff don't like don't read please**

**Disclamer: SM owns these characters, although who can hardly recognize them after they've been dragged through my dirty mind?**

**I've been so distracted lately as I've fallen in love with _many _stories on fanfic, and all the authors are so good at updating and publishing, much better than me...so today I find zero update alerts in my inbox and I saw it as a sign to finally pub this one. Its my first BxE, Im excited as this feels like something I would really want to read on here.**

**Sooo, much more to come on this one I've been tooling around on this at work for i don't know 3-4weeks now, and I just want to have the first chapter up so I have more modivation to add on here with chapters to come, sorry about the abrupt ending, others will be longer. Lemons to come, as always.**

I swayed with the music, it was really hitting me now, I could feel the sweet mixture of alcohol and drugs start to take over my body. Faintly I noticed someone's hands gliding along my hips, tentatively sneaking their fingers into the waistband of my pants. Where my friends were at this point, I had no idea. We had done bumps in the bathroom then split, Alice swore she saw some blonde god-like creature by the bar, I thought she was just cracked. The pickings in Forks were not that lucky, in fact I think the presence of three gorgeous girls with obviously loose morals was a heart stopper to every plaid wearing male in this crappy run down bar.

Lulling my head to the left as I began to feel the music more deeply I glanced at my other friend Rose at a half broken jukebox, a small group had gathered to watch as she bent over in search of the next song.

Rosie, Alice and I had met in college up in Seattle, hell bent on getting out of our respective bumble-fuck towns, we bonded instantly. We also happened to have rich, smart and beautiful in common and we all knew it. For my part, a car accident had taken my mother when I was just two, leaving me a large fortune; unfortunately it had also spared my father. To say we were not close was an understatement, the two of us barely spoke, and I spent my childhood being cared for by family friends and nannies.

Now I had my girls, and they were my family, we all new we were lucky for that. Recently the three of us had been kicked off campus due to drug use, whatever, but the kicker was when we were suspended for not attending classes. This made us all laugh, we all had high "A" averages, showing up only for the exams, and they still found a way to boot us.

So here I was back in Forks my home sweet purgatorial-home, for now. Charlie had offered to take me back into _his_ home after the suspension, not one for kind gestures; I knew he really just wanted to keep an eye on me. An easy job when you can direct an entire police force to follow your own daughter and her friends around. I had conceded with a compromise, renting a beautiful old house on the outskirts of the town for me and the girls to wait out our suspension in. So here we are, doing lines in a sad old truck stop bar's bathroom to keep our evenings exciting. We had fun making the boys Levis tighten, but fuck did we need the drugs to cut the nights up.

Now on the dance floor, (or should I say the floor area where some nice gentleman had moved the tables away after I exclaimed 'I want to dance!') I knew whoever this was creeping his fingers down towards my panties thought he had a chance. I decided to toy with him a bit, hell I might even give him a ride, I was that bored. Swaying my hips more deeply to the beats of Rose's most recent jukebox pick, I took my own hands and trailed them up over the soft curves of my hips. Reaching the hem of my shirt I quickly ripped it from my body and tossed it over my shoulder landing it on his head, I laughed a little too loudly at this. Now only in a black sheer lace bra and skirt with tights, I was pretty sure most of the patrons had a good look at my nipples straining against its fabric, I could care less.

The guy I had been dancing with was on me again, pawing at my now exposed flesh. Leaning closer to me I could smell him reeking of whisky and Polo Sport, disgusting. He screamed in my ear over the blaring music; "I'm Mike, _you _are hot!" Oh gawd; hi my name is 'hot.' I realized now through my haze, he had gone to high school with me. Deciding to play dumb to get him to back off quietly, I squinted and yelled back "Wow I'm wasted, I _have_ to find my friends," with that I pried myself from his grasp and started across the room.

"Now hold up baby!" he had grabbed my wrist tightly before I could get two steps away from him, "You and me, we have some unfinished business to take care of," He gestured with his other hand towards a sad bulge in his jeans, "…and from what I can see poking through that little bra of yours I think you need it too," It was about to get quite literally hard on him, I was cocking my fist back, ready to punch the idiot and leave him with two aching heads, I was nobodies 'baby.'

As suddenly as I had blinked he was on the floor, clutching at his nose. Boy was I ever _wasted;_ I felt nothing, not even the slightest tingle of pain in my fist. The logics of this ran through my head before I looked up to see my hand still cocked, a new hand wrapped tightly around my wrist holding it in place. Trailing my eyes down a pail but muscular arm I made eye contact with my 'savior' of the moment. He had the most brilliant green eyes, flecked with gold slivers, they were smoldering with anger now as he stared down the crumpled Mike.

A large group of men were looking on in shock, their fallen comrade splayed on the floor before us. While I felt a surge of excitement run through me, in anticipation of the fight ready to break out, his hand around my wrist remained steady and calmed. Before Mike could conger so much as a response I felt myself being pulled towards the door at a hastened pace. "Come on, you're getting out of here," I mildly wondered how my friends would make it out, but I knew Rosalie was more than capable of that, we had found ourselves in worse situations.

Making it through the front door, I saw what was a constant in the good old town of forks; torrential rain. I leapt into the rainfall, I loved it, the cold drops against my skin made me feel a rush and I knew I was alive. As a child I had stood in the bath of these downfalls until I caught pneumonia, that earned me a psychologist at a young age.

Looking straight up into the sky as the clouds let go of the heavy sheets of precipitation, I awaited this knight to offer his coat, although I knew I would reject it. To my bemused surprise the offer never came. He simply gripped my wrist again leading me to his car as he covered his own head in the slick black hood of his rain coat. I let out a gasp as we approached his vehicle "Fuck me."

"You wish, little girl." Plastered on the back window of a pristine silver Volvo were the unmistakable stickers indicating the City of Forks police department.

"You work for my father, what he sent you here to pick me up?! Gah!" I was infuriated, here I thought Id let myself be taken by what I thought was a knight, when in reality he was one of my fathers monkeys.

"Hardly, that would be my older brother, protecting and serving, and I'm not 'picking you up' I'm pretty sure I just saved you a whole lot of pain back there, now get in." My stomach flipped at his smooth and decisive words. He used hardly any inflection making it difficult for me to read him, and I could read everyone. It seemed like an okay excuse, It wasn't like these were my new in laws, and his indifference attitude made him that more appealing. He was like a beautiful flame I needed to touch, ignoring the licks of heat that threatened to engulf my hand.

I quickly shook my thick brown locks out, whipping about like a dog, before slipping into his passenger seat. He hadn't so much as glanced at me since leaving the bar, now his perfect green eyes were fixed on the road. Just as my door clicked closed, his foot was on the gas speeding down the stretch of highway that bordered our small town.

The speed excited me, and while he was scowling at the stretch of road before us, I caught him more than twice glancing at me through his peripheral. His acceleration was reaching a dangerous speed, danger had always been a friend of mine, the rush of fear always excited me further but I was no where near afraid.

As I thought vaguely that it could be the drugs and alcohol numbing my senses, I knew more than anything the overwhelmingly safe feeling that was washing over me seemed to be emanating from this man next to me. The adrenalin rush cock blocker not withstanding, I felt my body begging for the sensation of fresh air. Feeling up the passenger door I quickly found the automatic window button and punched my finger into it, sending the offending glass fully into the car door. At this the pale muscular man beside me gave only a small sideways glance before refocusing on the road.

The cold air on my wet skin was chilling and I laughed at this, reclaiming the exhilaration making me once again giddy. My skirt had become soaked in the down pour that was now reduced to a drizzle whipping in from the gaping window. I slowly shimmied the soaked material form my hips but before reaching my thighs I felt the cool grip of his strong hand wrap around my wrist.

"What are you doing exactly?" he said coolly, never removing his gaze from the road before us.

"Who needs a wet skirt?" I shrugged, and with that I swiftly completed my task removing my skirt entirely, on a whim tossed it through the open window. I was now much more comfortable in a pair of sheer black stockings, a seam running up the back of each leg. While the stockings came up just above my natural waist my electric blue panties were very visible, this was fine by me, the matched the electric blue pumps I had decided to rock that night.

I stuck my head out the window at first, feeling the icy drops of light rain dance across my cheeks, then I let my arms free as well feeling the whoosh of air speed past my finger tips. As more of my body demanded the rush of cool night air, I was suddenly aware of a hand resting on the back waistband of my stockings.

"Are you pushing me or saving me?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder at this he chuckled, finally finding a slice of emotion in him, I too chuckled to myself.

Before I knew it we had stopped, it was then I realized I hadn't given him the address to our little rented house, we had stopped outside a large colonial. It was _the_ house; I let out a small gasp.

**Read and Review Please**


	2. Chapter 2 Save Me from Myself

**Another short little Chapter, Im Kinda in love with this story, Big time Lemons to be expected for next Chap look out!**

**Thanks for the reviews, I am completely aware they are very OOC, but I feel theres a lot of underlying BxE hunger and love in here. ****Please continue to R/R I love your opinions!**

**Disclaimer: While I own the awkward situations I've put them in, SM still owns these characters not I.**

It was _the_ house.

Nestled in the lush forests of the Forks town lines, where nothingness boarders oblivion, laid the small-town cliché. Most scary stories told to the young and otherwise gullible children of Forks, centered on this run down sprawling house. On Halloween eve, or even a particularly foggy night lending to an eerie atmosphere, the stories changed each time to include untimely deaths or even axe murderers. Children were dared to enter it alone, older kids road their bikes through the lush forest off the highway just to throw stones through its once glorious windows.

As a child I had taken any lapsing moment in my vigil caretaking by neighborhood moms, doing the police chief a favor, to high tail it to this exact location. Peering through the cracked windows I would imagine the happiness this house had once held for its owners. I had even scaled a particularly rickety trellis just to get a glimpse at the vibrantly colored peeling wall paper of the bedrooms, imagining my future life blossoming in a grand home such as this one. The warm and homey scene had ended with a bang as I fell three stories, breaking both my arms. That the police chief couldn't keep tabs on a 12 year old seamed the ultimate embarrassment, and I spent that summer locked in my room let out only for meals like a caged animal. To make matters worse, I could no longer escape to the quiet shadows of the eerie house, knowing he'd find me every time I did.

Still seated in the car I audibly gasped, and must have seemed a drunken fool as I sat dumbfounded in the passengers seat, unmoving. I was no longer paying interested to the gorgeous man next to me even as he opened the door to pull me out, but rather, I sat taken aback by the restored beauty of _my_ childhood mansion.

"Th-This is my house." I stated emphatically.

"I'm glad you think so, however I have a lot of cashed checks and a deed with my name on it, to say otherwise." Shaking out of my stupor I glared at him, picking this opportunity to have a witty personality seemed cruel. Actually looking him full on in the face for the first time, I caught his beautiful lips curling into a smirk, noticing my intent eyes he quickly regained his composure, returning his mouth to a hard line once again.

I went back to gaping at the house; its grand windows restored with rippling blown glass, original to its time, its wrapping porches were no longer missing railings and around the corner I could clearly see a new trellis had been put up where I had broken may fall with the last one.

"Come on Princess, you can sleep it off in _my_ house." His words were dripping with disdain, which only continued to confuse me. What kind of golden boy brings back a pretty girl to his gorgeous mansion home, simply to let her 'sleep it off.' Still not budging from my perch at the passengers side seat he bent down, I thought at first he was finally going in for the kiss, instead he swiftly threw my torso over his shoulder and heaved the rest of me into a caveman carry. I squealed, not ready for the dizzying effect the movement had on my already shaky and intoxicated head.

Recovering quickly I regained composure, I don't squeal for just anyone. I decided to play with him, poking in search of his wit to return.

"Have a lot of practice carrying female bodies? Shall we head to the cellar or do you have a specific room set up for torture and murder?"

Letting his grip slip ever so slightly he coaxed another squeal to escape from my lips as I watched the ground grow closer. "I could just drop you on your head and end it out here, less clean up I think." A short laugh shook both our bodies as I was suddenly aware of his hands, one rested high on my leg and through my sheer black stockings I could feel the warmth emanating from his open palm. I grew quiet and for a moment as we climbed the stairs towards the great oak front doors, I thought I felt his hand rub intentionally at my thigh. As quickly as he had lifted me into the uneasy hold he dropped me, not on my head but rather on my ass, as I landed roughly onto a plush white couch.

While the outside of the house was restored to its former glory the inside was an entirely different story. A jumble of mismatched furniture was place through out the large living room, along with various construction tools and half finished projects. While parts of the flooring looked to be brand new, others were covered in lime green tarps, and still other sections were piled high with saw dust. The clutter made the almost massive room seam crowded, and I inwardly smiled as I felt I found a flaw in this other wise composed man.

"So…you did this? You restored…are restoring this house?" I asked as I pulled myself from the couch to further explore the room, hoping to get a sense for him. Why did I want to know him, understand him, read him like a beloved novel, poring over each page to capture its true meaning?

"Me and my brother, yes. So anyhow there are four bedrooms but only two are finished with beds, you can take mine; unless you want to be woken by one of your fathers…what did you call them?"

"Monkeys" I stated off handedly barely listening to him now, my bare backed facing him as I poked through the clutter of the room. To my amusement I had found stacks of cds and records piled amongst the clutter of a built in book case. While most objects on the shelves were coated in a fine blanked of sawdust the records were clean, obviously recently used and well cared for.

"Right, by one of your father's monkeys. You do realize policemen generally referred to as pigs?"

"Monkeys." I stated, "As in flying monkeys. As in my father; the wicked witch." I sighed at my explanation. Barely concentrating on my words as I flipped through the music, finding my selection with a smile I now turned to searching the large shelves for the actual record player. "Complete with a fetish for cross dressing in black dresses, coveting ruby red slippers, and a green boil or two on his crooked nose."

"How…clever." I heard the small smile in his voice and turned my head slightly, keeping my back to him and resting my chin for a moment on my still bare shoulder, I winked at him. Looking up I found the record player was on the third shelf, beyond the reach if my small arms. Never asking for help, I began leveraging my self on the back of the large white couch and tucking my chosen record under my arm, I place one foot on the bottom most shelf, hoisting my body up until my chin was level with the player.

"What are you crazy?! You're going to fall" He was at my side in seconds, his warm palms now pressed to my calves as he tried to spot me in my, inevitable fall.

"Certifiably, yes. Though, with the help of medication and intensive therapy we think I'm slowly being cured."

"Says who." He almost groaned as he was forced to place his hands further up my thighs to keep me from falling backwards, I leaned back slightly, resting my cheeks on his finger tips.

"Says the fourth doctor I've paid off in the last two or three years to tell my Father I'm ok." I had finally reached the record player and began to find my selection with the needle, "Don't get me wrong, its good for scripts if you need them, but not so great for family bonding when your Dad is constantly trying to get you committed. THERE!"

I hopped down easily from the shelves and before he could speak I placed one slender finger, adorned with chipping electric blue nail polish over his lips. "Shush."

The familiar orchestral notes filled the room and I let my eyes close. Already inches from me I felt him lean in closely although careful not to touch me, his hot breath grazing my ear as he spoke "You are continuously surprising, Debussy huh?"

"I'm a romantic what can I say?" And before I could open my eyes, he finally gave in. Clutching my waist with his callused hard working fingers, he drew me close to him. While I looked up into his eyes, awaiting a kiss that still seamed to allude me, he began to sway. Stepping back and forth deliberately, I soon realized we were dancing in a soft waltz-like movement.

Laying my head on his chest, unable to reach his shoulder I whispered just loud enough for him to hear "You're equally surprising." Then sighing deeply I felt myself slipping, crashing at the long end of a crazy night. Before I could nod off I whispered once more "I don't know your name." I hadn't cared earlier in the night, but some how I needed to know now.

"Edward, my name is Edward, Bella." Utterly confused as to how he knew my name I couldn't bring myself to utter another word, as the thick dark blanket of unconsciousness took over me.

**There you have it, no worries the Lemons are a-comin....**


	3. Chapter 3: I Love Bathtubs

**A/N: So it takes a bit more for me to update than most, as maybe you can tell, probably due to the self loathing I can;t be sure. I edit one chapter maybe 50-60 times before posting! So all those awaiting Emerald Angel and the Russett Wolf; I promise to update soon, I swear! That story gets more Reviews/Favorites I can hardly believe all the love it gets, if you haven't read it yet, please do so....now.**

**Also, did I promise you lemons this chap? oopsy, there is some heavy petting if that helps but BxE are getting there I swear it, and ill make it extra dirty for you as a reward for your vigilant angsty reading. Read and Review**

*****I do not own these Characters SM does**

BPOV

The cool morning air wafting in from an open window woke me, as it tickled the bare patches of my skin it was so delicate I swore I could feel fingers ghosting over my exposed spine. I vaguely wondered who left a window open in fucking February, this led me to my next question, where was I again?

It was far from uncommon for me to awake most mornings, trying to place the fuzzy puzzle pieces of my memories from the night before into semi comprehension. The girls and I have woken many a time in various states of undress, making a game of it we had taken to steeling each others clothing so as not to loose our own.

However it was quite rare to find myself sprawled on what seemed like a rather comfy down mattress, complete with over sized pillows enveloping my bleary head. No matter how gone I usually am, I make it a point not to actually sleep, as in slumber, with whomever is bringing me pleasure for the night. The girls were probably dying, not haven gotten the customary 5am "pick me the hell" up phone call.

I groaned, stretching my worn out legs, I pointed and wiggled my toes, feeling the small holes forming at the bottoms of my sheer stalking. I desperately tried to remember the night before….The Bar with the girls, greasy douche bags rubbing up on me, and him oh right _him_.

My savior of sorts, whisking me away, he seemed all too reluctant to be in the position. Oh, and the house, my lovely house, the dancing, and his name; Edward. As I heard a loud exhale and felt warm breath on the back of my neck, I nearly squeaked and quickly shot up in the bed

EPOV

I was woken to a small high pitched yelp. Woken yet again, I had found myself drifting in and out of slumber all night, unable to find rest while sleeping next to _her_. It seemed not much about her was quite restful, though, swallowed in the comforts of my down bed she seemed to let the troubled expressions that so often marred her otherwise gorgeous face go. She thrashed in her sleep, groaning and whispering things, some screams for help, some sweet thoughts she let go of in her most vulnerable state, I had an idea of what she was dreaming of. Around dawn I had taken a moment to really look at her, my white sheets enveloped her body, her pink lips slightly parted, she was still now, gold pools of sunlight shown through her hair. She looked positively heavenly, as if a demon had made its way through heavens gates and was donning one hell of a disguise.

Woken once again lulling my head to the side lazily, I was reluctant to see what had disturbed her now. Some modesty had taken hold of her as I saw she had wrapped every sheet available around her body, leaving me shivering in the cool morning air. Looking up I saw her wide chocolate eyes beaming down at me, sweet at first, they soon narrowed as she raked them over my exposed body.

"Pervert, pervert, definitely a pervert; creepy old house, 'classical music lover' the signs were all there…." She rambled on, talking to her self, as her mind raced through some laundry list of predatory signs. Her gaping racked over my body, her eyes stopping on something, it was then I realized I was only in my grey boxer briefs and the white Haynes tee-shirt I had crashed in. I regretted crawling into the bed with her; it had seemed like a good idea at the time, it was _my_ bed after all.

"Relax there _Chris Hanson, _the rain leaked through the ceiling last night in the living room, the couch was an unlucky victim." I propped my self up on a pillow running my hands over my still exhausted face and into my mess of hair.

"So you figured, crawl in bed _half naked_ with the chick you picked up last night, hmmm?!"

I rolled my eyes at this; she was really getting quite ridiculous "Crawl into _my_ bed? How crazy of me, plus I think I'm the over dressed one here."

She glanced down at her blue bra and underwear set and shrugged "I've worn less to a club."

"I believe you on that one." I was closing my eyes now, hoping she would shut up and I could catch a few more minutes of sleep.

"Pervert."

"You can stop saying that now, I've explained my self."

"Then explain this," My eye still closed, I wasn't about to open them for a view of her newest 'evidence', when I felt it. I hadn't even noticed a tightening of my briefs when I woke up, but I was painfully aware now, as a single finger trailed up the base of my member stopping at the very tip. I let out an audible growl and my eyes shot open. Her eyes were still wide and her mouth was now curling into a devilish smirk. The angel who had rested next to me at dawn had vanished, as the demon began to show its true colors.

"Don't flatter yourself; morning wood is like taxes, they just happen." I spouted off, laboring to control my voice.

"Pfft, sure, and sleeping innocently next to this warm body did nothing for you?....Pervert."

As long as we were invading personal body space I decided to prove my point definitively. Leaning in so close to her, my nose was almost touching the tip of hers, I breathed in deeply and spoke low "I don't know, but from your soft, restless moans of my name last night, waking me every ½ hr, I have to believe I'm not the only one having a _hard_ time." With that I let my hand wander up her now exposed thigh, as she had let her guard and my sheets drop to the floor, my hand rested between her legs, "Yep, soaking." I breathed out the last word, and leaned away from her kneeling on the bed, her mouth left agape, finally at a loss for words.

My point made I pulled on a pair of jeans and made my way to the bathroom. Who the hell does she think she is? I was willfully pushing the voice in my head reminding me that I had, in fact been having a rather perverted dream about her only minutes earlier. I inwardly cursed having ever tried to save what was obviously a hopeless case, while simultaneously willing my erection to subside.

As my stiff member finally relaxed I settled into a much need morning pee, only to be interrupted by the door swinging open, nearly falling off its rusted hinges.

"What the-"

She came in, walking slowly, as if her actions were as normal as anyone else. I quickly gathered myself back up into my pants and swung around ready to tear her apart.

"I LOVE bathtubs!" She was crawling still in her attire, or lack there of, from last night into the antique footed tub I had bought off an estate sale earlier that year. She folded herself into it easily and reached for the spout.

"Are you still high? You're in your under wear."

"Would you rather me take them off then?" My thoughts stuttered at this, an odd little voice in the back of my head screamed an emphatic _yes_. Gawd I was so fed up with her, this act was getting old and under my skin in ways I wasn't even sure of.

"No, no, I would rather you let me pee first but if you can deal I can as well"

I heard the water begin to poor from the faucets and tried to ease my nerves at the white noise, but ease didn't come as she babbled on. "How do you know my name?"

"Who doesn't, plus my brothers a _monkey_ remember."

"Right, what do you mean 'who doesn't'?"

"Chief of police's wild child comes home after being kicked out of school."

"Aren't you a gossip." Glancing behind me through the sink mirror I could see the tub had filled almost to the brim and waves of water sloshed over the side. Bella looked almost child like in the large tub, submerged up to her chin her long stockinged legs dangled willfully over its edge.

"No I just have ears, its news in this town I guess." She looked thoughtful at this, I wondered if it even registered to her that her actions seemed fodder for gossip to everyone else.

Quickly and before I could register the change in her demeanor she had splashed a hand full of water in my direction. Droplets landed on the black and white tiled flooring narrowly missing me entirely, but this didn't seem to matter as peels of laughter rose from her.

"You're crazy." I stated simply rolling my eyes and turning my back to her, this time a large sopping sponge made contact with my shoulder.

"That's it. Bath time's over champ," I got to the tub in one bounding step, trying to avoid another attack swiftly reaching between her legs. This move did not go unnoticed by my easily excited heart rate; I fumbled trying desperately to grasp at the rubber stopper chain with my fingers, not quick enough. Before I knew it her legs clamped around my arm and I was pulled, fully clothed, and submerged in a tub not exactly made for two.

Everything was soaking now, the walls dripped with residual droplets, the bathroom floor was soaked, _I_ was soaked. As I looked up from my new position between her legs, submerged in what was now only a half filled tub I saw she was soaked as well. Her hair hung in cords, sticking to her cheeks, the black makeup she had worn so pristinely on her eyes the night before was now smeared across each lid.

She breathed in deeply, and I could feel each heavy intake of breath as my chest pushed into hers. I was suddenly, very aware of how little clothing separated us both, and just as I thought the tension contained in this porcelain cell couldn't grow any thicker, she smiled. Cutting the mood into a million pieces, she smiled at me, a gorgeous easy smile, and for a moment I thought; I could kiss those lips. I could make life okay for her, and maybe she could make life a little more like this moment for me, unpredictable, crazy, and ending with a smile.

Her smile grew wider and that peeling laugh rang from her heaving chest before I could compose my thoughts into actions. I leaned back into the other end of the tub and joined her; the laughter, the smile, my muscles seemed to ripple with the tension as it escaped my body.

The laughter subsided; I heard the distinct crunch of a car arriving in my driveway. Knowing my brother was home, I decided to sit here, in the tub, as her wild eyes stared back at me and that damned smile still spread across her face.


	4. Chapter 4: Bull Gods

**Special THANKS to celtic mommy; I've had this vhapter stewing on my computer for weeks, but didnt know if I wanted to post it. I thank her for giving me such a sweet review and needing to read more! I swear I upped my viewer rating just by being on her favorites list! Check her out she has some awesome stories.**

**If you haven't read my Valentines contest entry please do and make a mental not to vote please!**

**Read/Review/Revere!**

EPOV

Her stockinged foot dangled over my tub, only inches from my face. Drenched in the warm bath water, a small puddle was beginning to form on the tiles beneath it, droplets hanging from her exposed toes as they wiggled freely. We had been sitting here for what seemed like hours now, immersed in quiet conversation. She was far more inteligent than she let on, her quick witted come backs made that evident. Her mind was lashing out in the form of sharp tongued retorts, screaming to let others know she hadnt successfully snuffed the intelligence out just yet.

My skin was puckered and pruney, not wanting to get out and risk loosing the moment. Her head lulled over the other edge as she stared directly into the light of the window above us. The white glow of morning light framed her face as she seemed unafraid to look upon it directly.

"You'll go blind," I chided her, like a grade school know-it-all. She did this to me, had me reverting to the tact of a teenager while trying to get her to notice me.

"Seeing is over rated."

My brother had been rustling about the house for a while now, and as I heard a door slam I had only seconds to mutter Emmett's name under my breath before I heard his booming voice shout out my own. "EDDWAAARD?!"

Feeling her slip slightly deeper into the large tub, I looked over to see Bella's face; half submerged as she held her breath. Seeking cover in the clear depths of bath water seemed a correct response from her.

"In here," I called back reassuring her with a look. Emmett was, well, a bit much to take; even as his brother I could recognize that. Loud and obnoxious; words that spewed from his mouth had a short, if any, detour through his mind to be filtered. I inwardly chuckled at the irony; in my family, he was the responsible one, the good son, the cop.

I had for fitted the right to 'apple of my parent's eye,' that was fine; I had accepted this through my own callous actions. But that those eyes were constantly clouded in doubt, or worse pity, was more than I could stomach most days.

Moving to Washington had been a God send; jamming the rambling thoughts coursing through my brain with constant work. This house was like a quiet vacation from myself, a distraction. When I found it, dilapidated and worn, I knew I could fix it, bring out the beauty that was once there.

It ate at me that I had to be away from my family to actually heal properly, but it was what I needed. I stopped calling a month into my self exile, and it was only a week later that Emmett had shown up on my doorstep. Being transferred to bumble-Forks Washington through his job as a cop was a thinly veiled excuse, I knew that, but I didn't think he meant for it to be anything more than a lie. Emmett had always been very upfront, the move did however drip with my mother's intentions to ensure my safety.

The bathroom door swung open, wrenching me from my memories. It shifted and creaked with his force, I could tell that new hinges were in order simply by the sound, Emmett had a habit of un-doing most of my restorations.

"Woa, dude" his hand quickly slapped over his eyes as he placed an exceptionally dramatic emphasis on one of his favorite catch phrases, elongating 'dude' and adding more syllables than necessary. "I thought we agreed, gym socks over the door knob when we bring back lady friends and are-"

"Em, I don't think I ever agreed to something like that, besides if one of your stank gym socks are on a door knob, I can assure you there wont be a female for miles." I cut him off before he could get out his own insult, "_This_ is Bella, Bella this is my older brother, in years only."

At the introduction Emmett let his fingers part slightly, his hand still firmly clasped over his eyes he peered in her direction before dropping his mouth open in shock. "The Swan Screw up?! God Edward, do you have any idea what this could do to me, my job? Are you harboring her from some sort of robbery?!"

I tensed at his rediculous reaction, awaiting the short fused bomb next to me to explode into a million pieces, as she had done to me so easily last night. Hearing her sigh softly before extract herself from the tub, I watched as she simply sauntered past my aghast brother, dripping blue panties and all, before exiting my bathroom without so much as a word.

Emmett's eyes followed her as well before turning his slack jawed expression on me. I knew exactly what he was thinking before his own brain was able to form it. Our family had been so conditioned to this reaction, as his facial expressions began to contort into a familiar mask, I found I couldn't look at him directly anymore.

"Edward, I'm just worried, worried for you." _Worry_ God I hated the word, and I hated the emotion even more. It sucked at people's souls, shaking them awake at night, consuming their thoughts, burdening them with the problems of others. Over what? Wasted time, wasted emotion.

"Stop. Don't even say it. I'm fine, I just took her home from a bar last night, she was out of it and needed to get out of there." His breath hitched at this statement, worry staining even his labored breathing.

"Okay, okay, I believe you. I just think hanging out with _her_; it's not good for you Eddie,"

"Just keep your opinions to yourself Emmett, I know whats good for me, I'm an adult, in fact you are currently standing in _my_ house. I can make decisions for myself." I amended my last statement with a final sigh "responsible decisions."

"Right." I had stung him a bit; the feeling was now evident on his clearly readable face. Lashing at him wasn't some thing I was fond of, I'm jackass for taking it out on him. "Hell do I sound like mom or what?" He chuckled at this and I let him see me crack a smile in return, my current state of anger wasn't his fault and I needed to let him know this. "God, the Swan-slut, really Eddie? Do you just go looking for trouble or does it find you?"

"You don't even know her, keep your pet names to yourself," I stated briskly "But yea, trouble seams to be stalking me huh?"

We left it at that, Emmett retreating back to his room as I went in search of trouble once again.

I followed her voice to the kitchen where she was obviously chattering away on the phone with someone. Finally tracking her down, I took in the sight of her. She had propped herself up on the counter, letting her long legs dangle as she spoke. She seemed almost modestly covered up compared to before, having pilfered one of my dark blue button down dress shirts, her legs were now bare, stripped of her torn stockings. She idly played with the cord from the phone curling her toes around it as her hands were occupied; a fork in one and a half open can of peaches in the other.

I thought of what audacity she must have, wandering through a stranger's house, borrowing his clothing, using his phone, and steeling his peaches. Well that wasn't completely fair, I hadn't even known I owned peaches, and I vaguely thought whether she would be prudent enough to check an expiration date, do canned peaches go bad?

But there she sat, swinging her legs as she spoke, using her hands to emphasize her words to some one who couldn't even see her. I smiled to myself, trouble never looked so good.

Leaning on the door frame I listened as she continued her conversation, not noticing me just yet.

"Yep, and he owns the mansion at the outside of town, yes, _my _mansion! Oh, Jesus and Rose? He is fu-cking beautiful, like a God or something…" Her eyes shot to me, I must have made a sound at that last statement.

"Gotta go Rose, see you in a few." She reached to place the phone on the receiver, not taking her eyes off me, her mouth still full with the remnants of her last bite of peaches.

"Like a God?"

"Flattery not intended, maybe I was talking about one of those six armed thingies, you know they worship Bulls as Gods some places?" She back tracked as she swallowed her last bite.

"Hmm, I suppose, though I don't think they describe Bull Gods as _beautiful_," I teased pushing myself off the frame and starting towards her. "Hey I'm sorry about my brother by the way; there is absolutely no filter in his brain,"

"What ever, I like it, I'm _infamous_, like Paris or Lohan"

"Don't do that, why do you do that?"

She looked shocked for only a moment before composing hersel, "Do what?"

"Act dumb, which you're not,"

She was quiet now, apparently there was no answer for her sharade, and I hadn't really expected one. As I advanced towards her she stopped me, still silent, placing her bare foot at my chest and noticing how absolutely freezing her skin was. Looking down at it, I saw the same chipped blue nail polish that covered her fingers, adorned her toes as well.

"I had peaches?" She cocked her head to the side, staring into my face as she took another bite. She looked confused for a moment, as if she was trying to wrap her mind around something that she couldn't quite figure out. It amused me to no end, that she could be trying to understand me, while she sat as the embodiment of an enigma before me. Bare foot wearing my shirt, eating the peaches she some how found.

"Yep, it was this or canned franks, I felt better with the peaches." She spoke matter-of-fact, while bring her feet into her body, suddenly aware of the chipped nailpolish and in need of closer inspection.

"So you're driving me to meet my friends in maybe an hour. We're going to 'Jacobs' the owners a friend of mine, do you know Jake?"

I knew Jake, I knew him too well. How could some one like me not know Jake? So I lied "Nope, I don't know Jake."

She hopped off the counter taking two steps towards me before her face lit up, her perfect mouth curling into a grin, "We're going to have so much fun."


End file.
